INTERVIEW WITH MICHEAL BRENT ADAM

Q and A with Micheal Brent Adam Director of The Beauty of ReveRso, His film won BEST ACCESSORY DESIGN and was nominated for BEST FASHION DOCUMENTARY at LFFF2018

 

Q. How and when did you become interested in filmmaking?

A. As a kid, I have always loved to record my voice and mix it with music. I thought I'd become a radio host until I took my father's camera. The images had a bigger impact and so I knew that I would become a filmmaker..

Q. What is a fashion film?

A.A fashion film is a piece of art. Something that is driven by atmosphere, a feeling, a dream, a musical score or a single thought. It doesn't need to have a filmic structure. For me, a fashion film is the music video of the generation 2020.

Q. Why make a fashion film?

A.The same reason why we experiment. To dig out new trends and to help making fashion more visible. To build an atmosphere around the clothes, and to add character to the apparel.

 

Q. What makes fashion film different to other short film genres?

A.You are not restricted to a certain filmic structure. I think it is necessary to surprise, to show something new, to take risks. The only existing rule compared with other short films is: Don't bore.

Q.What were you looking for in your characters?

A. In my case it is special as it is a documentary. The identities I show in my film are „existing“ personas or shades of the performance artist „ReveRso“. We talked about the characters that I saw at his shows and we made a collection for our film. .

Q. Do you have friends making movies as well and do you sense competition amongst you. What do you think of their movies?

A. I don't like competitions. More than that: I hate them. Everyone has his or her own language and thoughts. I get inspired by certain films, scenes, tonalities, actors or realisations. I love to inspire myself and to turn ideas into experiences. Everyone has his/her/it own view to the world and it gives you the opportunity to discover another point of view.

Q. What was your original concept for making the film?

A.My original concept was showcasing ReveRso and his different characters. Giving him an open stage and enough room to unfurl. I wanted to combine my ideas of settings and backgrounds with his visions of performance art. It was a very nice experience to combine those two ideas.

Q. What was the biggest challenge for you in the process of making this film?

A.The money I guess?! We didn't have a lot of financial support. If you knew what we had you wouldn't expect something like that. It sometimes was hard to convince everyone to contribute their art to this project. But it was worth it!

Q. How did you decide about clothing, jewellery and make up?

A.  Our two artists ReveRso and Yeorg Kronnagel are best friends. They knew what they wanted to showcase and what to combine. I just nodded. .

Q. What are the key elements to making an effective fashion film?

A. The atmosphere that is created by the visuals, the music or the setting. A good sound design and an own tonality that feels authentic, right and unseen.

Q. What is a difference between a fashion film and advertisement?

A. advertisement is commerce, a fashionfilm is art (with commerce)I set this in ( ) because it doesn't need to have the commerce part but if the client wants to sell something, it might have that advertisement element: the focus on fashion.

Q.What is your suggestion for making some budgets for a film?

A. You can make a film for 1000 and create wonderful pictures but it wouldn't be fair. If you are a designer or a brand that really wants to create a filmic piece you should also be able to compensate for every artist that is involved in the project. And the artists are not only infront of the camera. Each craft (camera, director, make-up, set design, music...) is an artistic shade that should be appreciated and valued. So if we count all the numbers, I guess we obtain a number beyond 20K. .

Q. What advice do you have for aspiring filmmakers?

Get inspired, work on your inner zen. Tell your own stories in your own way. Inspire others, show us something that is just you. Always ask yourself if your storytelling is fast enough and have enough sleep. .